Fluid cut-out for percolators



Feb. 16 1926. 1,572,991

0. A. COLBY FLUID CUT-OUT FOR PERCOLATORS Filed June 10, 1922 WITN ESSES:

INVENTOR 0rd ALE/by BY ATTORNEY PA FFICE.

ORA A. COLBY, 0F IRWIN, PZEN'NfiYIV, ASSIGNOR 'I'Q WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

FLUID our-our For. rnnoonnrons.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORA A, Consv, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of its object to provide a novel, compact and relatively simple fluid circuit interrupter construction for an electrically heated percolator.

In practicing my invention, 1 provide a percolator body with a depending tubular member constituting a vaporizing chamber havingan electric heating element and a heat-insulating member located below said heating element and secured thereto. 1 pro-' vide an elongated closed evacuated tube of insulating material having electric-circuitte'rminal leads extending into the tube in spaced-apart relation and a column of electrical-conducting fluid normally operatively engagin said terminal leads= Means provide for supporting said tube at a predetermined portion oi its length from the tubular member and in thermal contact with the heating element, A heat-insulating shield is operatively associated with a portion of the tube to reduce the flow of heat to that portion to cause the same to operate as a condensing chamber for the conducting fluid which may be volatilized by heat conducted thereto by the supporting member,

In the single sheet of drawings,

Figure 1 IS a view in vertical section, of an electrically heated percolator with which is associated the device embodying my invention;

' Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the device embodying my invention, and

Fig. 3 is a view, in side elevation, of a supporting member constituting a portion of the device embodying my invention.

A percolator, designated generallyby the numeral 11 comprises a suitable fluid con: tainer 12 having a spout 13, a handle it, and a hollow supporting member or base 15. The bottom of the base member 15 is provided with an opening 16 which is normally closed by a cover member 17 fitting tightly within the opening 1%, Suitable heat-insulating supports 18 may be provided on the bottom of the base member 15. A depending tubular member 19 is suitably secured to the container 12 at the bottom thereof, extendin through an opening 21 therein, a nut 22 being screw threaded thereon in order to provide a water-tight construction. The tubular member 19 has an intgeral laterally extending flange portion 23 upon which are located a plurality of heating units 24 which are held in proper operative position by a removable laterally entending flange member 25. This construction is not further described in detail here as it is disclosed and claimed in my Patent No. 1,492,160 issued April 9, 1924.

A plurality of spaced-apart heat-insulating members or disks 26 are removably supported on the lower portion of the tubular member 19 and are eflective to reduce the amount of heat radiated downwardly from the bottom surface of the flange member 25,

An elongated closed evacuated tube 27 of a suitable insulating material, such as glass or quartz, is located in. a substantially horiaontal position below the bottom heat-insulatmg disk 26. The tube 27 is provided with a pair of electric circuit leads 28 and 29 extending into the same in spaced-apart relatron, the lead 28 extending into the tube adjacent one end thereof and the other lead 29 extending thereinto intermediate its ends. Thetube 27 is provided with a constricted portion 31 immediately adjacent the end into which the lead 28 extends, and a quan tity 32 0t suitable conducting fluid, such as mer ury, is placed within the tube normally operatively engaging the inner ends of the leads 28 and 29. This construction of tube is more particularly disclosed and claimed in a copending application or Ulrey and D. l. Mayne, Serial No. 574,619, tiled July 13, 1922, and assigned to the Westinghouse Electric and lilanutacturing Com pany, to which reference may be had for further details.

A supporting member 33, of substantially L-shape, is supported from the lower end of the tubular member 19, a nut 34:, having screw threaded engagement thereon, serving to clamp the heat-insulating disks 26, the flange member-25 and the heating units 24, as well as the member 33, in proper operative positions on the depending tubular 19. The lower end of the member till 33 is made relatively narrow and is so bent as to substantially com letely encircle the tube 27 at its iconstricted portion 31. This construction serves not only to support the tube but also to provide a path for the heat generated by the heating element to flow through the walls of the tube and into the conducting material contained therein, causing the same to be vaporized if the temperature of the heating elements is maintained at a sulficiently high value for a sat ficient length of time, as may happen if the percolator runs dry. When a portion of the conducting fluid is vaporized it causes a portion thereof to flow over into a normally empty end 35 of the tube 27, the vaporizing action continuing until such quantity of conducting fluid has been forced over into the end 35; as to result in either an interruption in the column of conducting fluid or a disengagement of the terminal lead 29 from the column of conducting fluid, thereby interrupting the circuit therethrough.

De ending terminal members 36 and 3? may e mounted on the lower of the disks 26 to which the outer ends of the leads 28 and 29 may be electrically connected, suitable electrical connection being made to the heating elements 24. The outer ends of the heating elements 24 ma to contact terminal pins 38 which are insulatedly mounted within a terminal cage or guard 39 supported by a wall of the base 15 and projecting outwardly therethrough.

As it is desired to maintain the temperature of the end portion 35 of the tube at a lower temperature than the main portion thereof, I place a heat-insulating shield 41 over this end of the tube and have found the simplest construction for holding the same in its proper operative position to be by means of the terminal lead 29, which may extend therethrough. This construction results in a somewhat lower temperature of the end 35 of the tube 27, with the effect that, when the circuit is interrupted, as hereinbetore described, the conducting fluid is condensed in the end 35 and may be caused to reclose the circuit by a tilting movement of the percolator in a clockwise direction, in the construction illustrated in the drawings.

The device may also be employed as a manually operable means for interrupting the circuit by giving the percolator a tilting {movement in a counter-clockwise direction,

"in the construction illustrated in the drawings. This tilting or turning movement causes a portion of the conducting fluid to flow into the end portion 35 of the tube and a; consequent interruption of the circuit therethrough, as hereinbefore described in connection with the thermal operation of the interrupter.

The device embodying my invention thus provides a relatively simple and compact be electrically connected.

fluid circuit interrupter which is eflective to interrupt the circuit when operated manuagy as well as when operated automatically.

arious modifications may be made in the device embodying my invention Without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and I desire that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art or are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

ll claim as my invention 1. In a circuit interrupter for an electrically heated device, in combination, an elongated closed evacuated tube of insulating material, a column of conducting fluid in said tube, and a heat-conducting member for supporting said tube and for placing it under the direct thermal influence of said device.

2. A thermally actuated circuit-interrupter for an electrically heated device comprising an elongated closed evacuated tube of insulating material having a constricted portion adjacent one end thereof, spaced terminal leads extendin into said tube, a column of conducting uid in said tube normally operatively engaging said terminal leads, a supporting member having one end operatively engaging said tube at its constricted portion, the other end of said supporting member bein in close operative en gagement with said evice, and eflective to conduct heat to said tube to thereb volatilize a portion of said conducting fluid and cause the circuit therethrough to be interrupted, upon the occurrence of a predetermined temperature in said device.

3. A thermally operable circuit interrupter for an electrically heated device, comprising an elongated closed evacuated tube of insulating material having a constricted portion intermediate its ends terminal leads extending into said tube ad acent the ends thereof, a column of conducting fluid in said tube normally operatively engaging said terminal leads, and a supporting member 0peratively engagin the constricted portion of said tube to there y place a ortion only of said column of conducting uid under the thermal control of said device.

4. A thermally operable circuit interrupter for an electrically heated device, said circuit interrupter comprising an elongated tube of insulating material havin 'a constricted portion adjacent one end t ereof and a condensing chamber ad'acent the other end thereof, terminal lea s extending into said tube adjacent the ends thereof, a column of conducting fluid normally operatively engaging said terminal leads, a supporting member operatively engaging said tube at its constricted portion and secured to said device to thereby place the constricted portion of said column of conducting fluid under the thermal control of said device and means for reducing the flow of heat from saidpdevice to the condensing-chamber portion of said tube.

5. A thermally operable circuit interrupter for an electrically heated device, comprising an elongated close-d evacuated tube of insulating material having a constricted portion intermediate its ends, terminal leads extendmginto said tube adjacent the ends thereof a column of conducting fluid in said tulle normally operatively engaging said terminal leads and means for supporting said tube and for localizing the flow of heat to a predetermined portion of said column of conducting fluid to cause a break in said column at said predetermined portion upon the occurrence of a predetermined temperature in said device,

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 2nd day of June 1922.

ORA A. COLBY, 

